Joe Person's blog: Spurrier confronts Kiffin over comments

DESTIN, Fla. – Leave it to Steve Spurrier to spice up the first day of the SEC spring meetings.

Minutes after the football coaches meeting broke up Tuesday evening, Spurrier was stopped by a group of reporters in front of an elevator. After a few team-related questions, Spurrier was asked about a comment made earlier in the day by UT coach Lane Kiffin.

When asked if he were going to apologize again to Urban Meyer for accusing the Florida coach of cheating, Kiffin said he never had received an apology from Spurrier after Spurrier questioned whether he had passed the NCAA recruiting test before he began calling prospects.

Told of Kiffin’s remark, Spurrier shook his head, paused then turned around and faced Kiffin, who waiting to get on an elevator.

“I didn’t accuse you of cheating,” Spurrier said, pointing toward Kiffin. “I said, ‘Is it permissible to call recruits before he’s announced as head coach, before you take the test?’”

Spurrier then turned down back to the group of reporters and said: “He took the test online and I didn’t know you could do that. I thought you had to take the test on campus, then get announced.”

Kiffin, who turned red during the 40-second exchange, said something inaudible. Otherwise, he was silent while waiting for the elevator to arrive.

After Kiffin and several other coaches – Kentucky’s Rich Brooks, Auburn’s Gene Chizik and Arkansas’ Bobby Petrino – piled on to the elevator, Spurrier stepped on and announced again, “I didn’t say he broke the rules. I just said, ‘Is it permissible to make calls?’”

And with that the elevator door closed, leaving the media members laughing and wondering how the conversation played out on the way up.